


ABO Verse Lore

by RandomSlasher (Randomslasher)



Series: The ABO Verse [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-17
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-10-29 23:54:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17817929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Randomslasher/pseuds/RandomSlasher
Summary: Lore asks and answers for the world building, biology, sexual dimorphism, and universe rules for the ABO verse fic.





	1. What is Claiming?

**Author's Note:**

> I was originally planning to intercut the story itself with this information, but I've realized there's just an awful lot of it and I don't want to interrupt the flow of the story, so I'm doing this instead. 
> 
> Warnings will be included on the chapters themselves as needed.

_If it's not too much trouble, could you tell me a bit more about what 'claiming' entails? Can an Alpha just say "I like this one, everybody else back off"? And it's obviously not permanent, since Roman has been claimed before, so how does that work exactly? As for breeding, I take it that that is sex during an Omega's heat to make them pregnant? Do Alpha's go into heat as well? (sorry for the load of questions) - Nyn_

 

No problem! Please bear in mind that my answers are relevant to my own ABO verse only and do not represent the full spectrum of ways ABO can be written. 

Claiming is when an Alpha decides to take an omega into their home and oversee their care. Omegas are considered to be somewhat less than fully human, with their animal features and heat cycles making them unable to take care of themselves easily. A heat cycle without an Alpha to breed them is incredibly painful for an omega. 

“Claiming” is not permanent in that Alphas can abandon their omegas, but it’s a pretty shitty thing to do. Sort of like…adopting a pet then leaving it on a street corner, only worse, because omegas may not be fully human but they are completely sentient and experience a full range of emotions and are just as intelligent as humans. So it’s basically a massively dick move and the fact that it’s happened to Roman so many times is a very strong indicator of the kinds of company he’s kept. 

Basically when an omega is claimed by an Alpha there are scent markers that become detectable between the pair. Most Alphas also like to give their omegas a symbol of their commitment–usually a collar, though sometimes it might be something different like a bracelet or necklace. Typically, Alphas claim omegas during their heat cycles, as omegas emit certain scents during their heats that are meant to attract Alphas. It’s the time Alphas can sort of go, “Yes, this smells like something I want to make permanent.” 

Asshole Alphas will breed any omega in heat, then ditch them when the heat cycle pheromones stop–basically when they can start thinking with their head brains instead of their dicks. That’s what’s happened to Roman several times. Roman’s pheromones during his heat cycles are especially strong, and as such he is very difficult for Alphas to resist, especially younger Alphas who do not yet have their own omegas. 

The fact that Logan claimed Roman when he was nowhere near his heat cycle is actually a very strange and unusual thing–most Alphas want to make sure their omegas are…well, the best way I can describe this is they want to make sure their omegas ‘smell right’ during heat cycles. It’s like…looking at a horse’s teeth and hooves before buying it. So Logan claiming Roman ‘sight unseen’ (as it were) is actually a really unusual and very sweet thing to have done. Of course he just sees it as being decent (and he and Roman are incredibly well suited to one another, which is why they were able to fall in love so quickly–they are going to have some hella intense mating sessions when Roman’s in heat). 

“Breeding” is what it’s called when an Alpha and omega copulate during the omega’s heat cycle, though it’s not always for the purpose of producing a litter. While many omegas enjoy giving birth, it’s not necessarily healthy for them to be constantly pregnant, so most Alphas will take suppressors that ensure they do not get their omegas pregnant every heat cycle. (Heats are once every four to six months in a healthy omega, btw). 

Roman is a bit of a special case, though. He was actually the result of some very targeted breeding programs meant to create the ‘ultimate omega’–his heat cycles come every six to eight weeks instead of every four to six months, and he is especially fertile (his record litter was 12 pups). He carries pups well and generally has easy deliveries. 

But he was also the result of some illegal and very unauthorized breeding experiments. He was created by a ring of illegal breeders who were essentially creating custom omegas for wealthy clients by going around laws and ethics codes. He was sort of their prize prototype, but the regulations commission and omega protection agencies were closing in on them, so he was abandoned so as not to be incriminating. 

Since then, he’s lived on his own, claimed by a string of Alphas when he was in heat (his heat cycles are incredibly intense and it’s even more difficult than usual for Alphas to resist him) then ditched afterward. He’s given birth to several litters of pups, which he has had to give up to protective services. Omegas aren’t attached to their pups the way a human parent would be, but it was still difficult for him to have to give them up so early (the typical nurturing period before giving them up to a creche* is about 1 year).

And no, Alphas don’t have heat cycles–they simply respond to omega heat cycles. 

 

*Creche - more on that later :) 


	2. Alpha/omega dynamics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more info about the dynamics between Alphas and omegas, and some info about Logan, Patton, and Virgil.

_Can Alphas have more than one omega at a time? Can multiple Alphas take care of one omega?_

Yes and yes!

Many Alphas will have hareems of omegas. They’re a bit of a status symbol. And omegas are also very social and like to cuddle and need lots of skin-to-skin contact so it’s actually considered good practice to have at least 2. However, having too many (more than 4 or so) can lead to some of your omegas being neglected and not getting bred well (omegas with penises have very small penises, and cannot satisfy one another’s heats with them). It’s generally considered just plain showing off if a single Alpha has more than 5. Some high-powered, dominant Alphas will employ other Alphas (known as sub-Alphas) to breed some of the extras in their hareem. At that point, though, they tend to get hassled, because “if you’re not the one breeding them, are they really your omegas?” It’s not unprecedented that a sub-Alpha and omega from a large hareem have run off together, and if they’re caught and sued in civil court, they ruling usually goes in their favor because the scent markers clearly identify which Alpha has actually been taking care of the omega. 

As for multiple Alphas on one omega, it does happen, though it’s less common. You’ll see it more frequently with Alphas who are family members–-brothers or cousins-–because during an omega’s heat cycle, the Alpha need to breed and be the dominant Alpha is so strong that it has led to Alphas actually fighting over omegas (in some extreme cases, to the point of severe injury or even death). So that is typically avoided by having the Alpha pairs be related–-the urge to fight off a rival Alpha basically disappears when they share your genes. 

Patton and Logan are definitely not typical Alphas. They are both super-Alphas, first of all-–extremely dominant Alphas who are able to command even other Alphas-–and the fact that they have lived together for so long with just one omega is nearly unheard of. 

One reason it works is that Logan takes suppressors. They stifle his pheromones and make him less susceptible to the lure of an omega’s heat cycle. 

The other reason it works is that Virgil, being a feline omega, does not have the same kind of heats that the canine omegas do, and his pheromones are very pungent. Many Alphas and sub-Alphas actually find the heat scent of feline omegas unpleasant. 

Logan has bred Virgil before, but it’s rare. Virgil, as I’ve mentioned in the story, has very difficult heat cycles. They are very painful for him, and they make him very emotional and snippy. Honestly, Patton is one of the only Alphas who would ever be able to handle an omega like Virgil; he’s kind, and gentle, and very very patient, for one, but also incredibly dominant, for another. Virgil and Patton mating during a heat looks really damned intense, and it will probably frighten Roman the first time he sees it, but it’s what Virgil needs. 

They have him on hormones to try to ease some of that pain for him, though. They’re still trying to find the right dose (as a feline, Virgil’s heat cycles are once every six to seven months instead of once every four or five, so it takes longer to figure out the right dose to properly regulate him).  

 

 

_logan has bred virgil? how did patton feel about this, or was it not a huge deal?_

Actually Patton requested it. 

Part of the reason Virgil’s heat cycles are so bad is that they’re irregular. Once, he went six months without one, so when it finally hit, it was… bad. Super bad. Poor baby was crying and hissing and yowling and just absolutely begging to be bred, and while Patton might be a super-Alpha, he’s not invincible. He couldn’t keep up, and it was breaking his heart to hear Virgil crying. Logan went off his suppressors for the duration of that heat and they took turns breeding Virgil to help him through it. It lasted an entire week and was pretty much hell for all of them, but having two super-Alphas did make it easier. 

Logan will also occasionally help Virgil to a regular orgasm if Patton isn’t home and Virgil’s feeling needy, since they thus far didn’t have any other omegas for Virgil to fool around with. Now that Roman is here, he and Virgil will likely be doing a lot of helping each other out. 


	3. Family Dynamics and Sexual Dimorphism

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Responding to some asks from my blog regarding sexuality, and an explanation of physiology and social/family structure in this ABO verse

_You mentioned in a previous ask that sex and sexuality aren't really as taboo in the a/b/o universe, how does that work? Would there be still different sexualities, and are people still homophobic? On that topic, would there be people on the asexual spectrum and if so, how do they work with it? I'm really loving the series so far and I'm completely in love with everything!_

 

There are a myriad of different sexualities. The standard for sexuality, gender, and biosex is the spectrum, not the binary. Most people don’t even think about it, really? Anyone out there might fall for anyone else and it’s considered fair game. I think you’d be more likely to encounter confusion if, say, six or seven Alphas all got together, but it’d be more because that many Alphas together are likely to get violent after awhile. (And that’s NOT to say that many Alphas couldn’t live together if they had a sufficient number of omegas with them, btw.) 

As for asexuality, it’s complicated. Lots of betas are asexual, experiencing no particular attraction to anyone. (And many are also sex-neutral, experiencing no particular desire for sex. Some are even sex-repulsed.) 

But it’s harder to pin down with Alphas and omegas, because while their biological imperative to mate is very strong, it’s not necessarily directed at a particular place on the gender or biosex spectrum. Alphas are driven to mate with omegas, but who is what on the gender/bio spectrum rarely enters into it all that much? (This will all make more sense after I write that darned essay). 

This universe has more issues with classism than sexism/sexuality phobia, truthfully. Gender AND biosex exist on a broad spectrum, so having phobias against a particular one would be considered really strange. It’d be like…us having strong opinions about the exact number of eyelashes someone has. Like…it varies? So…who cares? You have what you have. And sure maybe SOME people are like…weird about it, but…most of us wouldn’t even think twice about it.

 

 

Okay, I’m gonna do my best to lay this all out and answer the many questions I’ve gotten about how birthing and family dynamics work in this universe. 

In my ABO verse, there are three classifications of individuals: Alpha, beta, and omega. 

The ONLY class that is capable of giving birth is omega. This means that all other classes are produced by the omega class. 

Alphas are the only class capable of producing sperm and siring offspring. 

Betas are all infertile. 

With me so far? 

The social and familial structure of the ABO verse is as follows: Alphas and omegas mate and produce offspring. Once the offspring are able to eat solid foods (typically around 9-12 months or so) they are taken to family care facilities. These facilities are primarily run by betas. Think community childrearing: the facilities are generally the size of small villages, completely self-contained, with multiple households of betas (singles to polyam family groups), facilities for medical care and education, entertainment facilities like playgrounds, shopping centers, movie theaters, swimming pools--you name it. These facilities are funded by government taxes. 

Of course, some family care facilities are better equipped than others, but that’s another story. 

The young are all raised together until they reach puberty, at around 11-13 years of age. At that time, the Alphas and omegas are removed from the community (the betas will stay, however, until they are ready to move out and live independently at age 18 or so; many chose to stay on as caregivers to younger generations, as betas tend to be drawn to caregiving roles. Not all of them, of course, and it is their choice, but many do). 

The Alphas kids are taken to separate caregiver facilities (still run by betas, though there are generally Alphas on staff as well in the medical and learning centers) where they are taught about caring for omegas, bonding, and the biological expectations of being an Alpha. 

Omegas are taken to placement facilities. They are given the opportunity to continue their education, but it is elective education only. It is at this point in their lives that they will begin to have heat cycles, and they are put on careful hormonal regulators until they reach the age of 18 to prevent unwanted breeding before that. During this time, they are mostly taught about what to expect from heat cycles, how to manage them, and what to expect from an Alpha caregiver. 

Once they reach the age of 18, they are eligible for placement with Alphas. At reputable facilities, this is the time at which they will start attending meet-and-greet sessions with Alphas while they are in pre-heat (the days before their heat cycles begin) to seek a bond. The contract they enter into must be agreed upon by both Alpha and omega, and will typically involve more than one meeting, and usually a supervised breeding session to ensure the Alpha and omega are sexually compatible. 

Omegas who don’t bond with Alphas are often forced to live in the placement facility indefinitely, bred by staff Alphas who will wear full-body suits to prevent unintentional bonding. It’s a very lonely and isolating existence, and many of these omegas experience depression and moodiness due to the continued rejection from potential Alphas. 

(An unfortunate side effect of this phenomenon is called the “shelving effect” --omegas that have been in care facilities for too long [ie older omegas] start being rejected out of hand simply because they’ve been rejected multiple times already. Alphas start avoiding them because they’ve been ‘shelved’ too many times, making them undesirable. This is what happened to Virgil, but I digress.)

The reason Alphas and omegas do not rear children themselves is simply that they are biologically designed to reproduce, not to be caregivers. Omegas will go into heat within a year of giving birth, and can become pregnant again that quickly. Given the biological imperative to breed during an omega heat cycle, Alpha/omega households are not ideal for rearing children. 

There are rare exceptions. Some Alphas or omegas who are nearing the end of their reproductive life will opt to raise their last litter. Others may have surgeries performed to prevent future heats. But these are one-off cases and the majority of the social structure relies on community child-rearing. 

Now: a quick note on sexual dimorphism. 

As I mentioned in a previous ask, gender and biological presentation exist on a spectrum in this universe. There are a variety of biosex presentations for all three classifications of individual. The primary defining features are actually classification-based--omegas produce ova, Alphas produce sperm, and betas produce neither.  

Beyond that, individual sexual dimorphism is going to depend on the amounts of certain hormones that were present in prenatal development. And because omegas produce litters of multiple classes at once (a single litter might contain an Alpha, an omega, and two betas, for instance) that hormone regulation might result in omegas with separate birth canals and colons, or smaller or larger penises, or enough estrogen to produce breasts upon reaching puberty. Some Alphas might be born with vestigial wombs or smaller penises or testes; others might be completely absent the womb and in possession of larger genitals. And betas experience a similar variety of primary and secondary sex characteristics. 

Because physical presentation is so intensely variable, gender has never been tied to genitals in this universe. Individuals are raised androgynous and select their own genders if and when they are ready. Some chose male, others female, others androgynous or demi-sexed. Still others are completely gender fluid, and do not restrict themselves to one gender identity. 

 


	4. Omegas and Exotics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of history about omegas and exotic omegas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: a little bit dark here, folks, references to eugenics/cloning of sentient beings

Felines are somewhat rare, mostly because they are so difficult to place with the right Alphas. Virgil is the first feline Roman’s ever met (though he has to admit, so far, he doesn’t understand why felines have such a bad reputation–he kind of already adores Virgil and is super happy to be in a hareem with him). Felines who aren’t lucky enough to find an Alpha are forced to live in the placement facilities, bred by staff Alphas in bodysuits that prevent claiming. It’s a very lonely life, and it’s one Virgil could tell you a lot more about, as it was his for a very long time. 

There are a few other strains of omegas known as ‘exotics,’ but they’re even more rare than felines. They were genetically designed some years ago, before the stricter laws about omegas came into place, and some strains still exist (though most were infertile). Some of the exotics that WERE fertile and therefore still exist are lagomorphs (rabbits), cervidae (deer/antelope, etc.), lemurs, and rodents (squirrels are most common). They’re bred specifically as status symbols and are very difficult to acquire legally. 

In old history documentaries, however, there is footage of thousands of different omega breeds that were once being created (and then cloned, when they turned out to be infertile). Many were not even viable outside the test tubes they were created in, and died instantly; others were incapable of speech and therefore ineligible for placement (even back then, there were guidelines about levels of sentience required for placement with an Alpha). These chapters of history are considered incredibly shameful and dark, and are taught as cautionary stories. 

Most of the remaining exotics are kept in sanctuaries and cared for by preservation societies. It is very difficult to legally acquire an exotic, as it requires months upon months of paperwork, background checks, meeting with the omega under supervision, trial breeding sessions, and plenty of $$. Exotics are very highly protected, so any Alpha wishing to acquire an exotic must also submit to regular random check-ins to ensure the health, safety, and happiness of their omega, and to verify that the omega is not being bred illegally (black market exotics are a real problem).


	5. Omega placement

_"So how would one get an omega? Like are they brought to expos or adoption things or catalogs or like?"_

 

Omegas are raised in communities with beta caregivers. When they're still infants, 6 months to about 3 years, they're put in a nursery, or Creche, within the community. At about 3 years old they're taken to larger facilities to live with others their age (they need less specialized care by that age as they function at about the level of a human child of 5 or 6).

When they reach legal age and are ready, they are taken to placement facilities (also run by betas and staff Alphas). Those placement facilities have scheduled ‘meet and greets,’ where Alphas looking for omegas can come and meet omegas in a social, supervised environment. The placement process occurs when an Alpha and omega hit it off, and involves a series of meetings and at least 1 supervised breeding through a heat cycle. Then, if the bonding is successful, the omegas will go home with the Alphas. 

This is a process that is very careful to avoid abandonment situations. First meetings are never when the omegas are in heat because it is far too easy for the pheromones of heat cycles to create ‘false bonds’–ie, Alphas and omegas will believe they are suited for one another but only until the heat cycle ends. Placement facilities that do not adhere to rigorous screening processes end up with a lot of ‘bounceback’–omegas being returned after a few heat cycles by Alphas who did not bond with them properly. 

Incidentally, this ‘false bonding’ is what happened several times to Roman when he was on the streets. An Alpha would pick him up during his heat, then abandon him after the fact. 

As you can probably imagine, this is a very traumatic thing for the omega, which is why placement facilities want to avoid it at all costs. 

For the Alpha, agreeing to bond with an omega means undergoing rigorous psychological screening, background checks, credit checks, and residence inspections, to ensure the omega is being placed in a home that can properly care for them. Additionally, the Alpha signs a waiver permitting the placement facility inspectors to run random ‘wellness’ checks, where an inspector will show up without warning and verify that proper care is being taken of the omega. If the omega expresses any concerns, the Alpha waives their right to maintain the bond, and the omega will be taken back to the placement facility. 

Additionally, omegas can not be placed without their express written consent. So if they are not “feeling it” with an Alpha, they can decline, no questions asked. If the Alpha then persists in attempting to court the omega, they will be escorted from the premises and could face a ban from future meet-and-greets. 


	6. Patton's Backstory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will be added to and edited as I find pieces/asks in my tumblr about Patton.

**How is Patton rich?**  
Patton is a trust fund baby. He's loaded.

 

 **But if people don't know their parents, how can Patton have a trust fund?**  
Inheritance is still a thing in this world. Basically, rich families can place their pups in exclusive care facilities, and leave them with trust funds, heirlooms, college funds, what have you.

I've mentioned the beta care facilities before, where pups are raised after they leave their birth parents. They come in two forms: public (the most common) and private (elite and rare). When most A/o couples get pregnant, they put their names into a registry, and when their offspring are 6-12 months old, they will be contacted by a member of the registry who will assign them a creche. A social worker will then collect the pups and transport them to the assigned creche.

However, the social elite–-celebrities, politicians, etc.–-can elect to buy their offspring a place in a private creche. These creches are extremely well-run, with super low child-to-caregiver ratios (meaning lots of personal attention), lots of amenities, access to every luxury and cutting--edge technology, and first--class education facilities. 

They also require a  _sizable_ entry fee for their applicants, as well as ongoing annual tuition charges.

For this reason, typically speaking, elite members of society will only pay to put their Alpha offspring into these creches, opting to send any beta and omega offspring to public creches instead. 

Alphas that are raised in these creches are usually left some kind of inheritance from their birth parents in the form of trust funds or other savings accounts. Some are modest funds, some are quite sizeable, just depending on the family. This gives these Alphas a head start in a world where they already have an automatic leg-up as Alphas, and ensures that the powerful Alpha bloodlines stay in power, even in the absence of the traditional family structure. 

Patton was raised in one of the most elite creches in the country, populated by the Alpha offspring of high level politicians and powerful leaders, as well as a few A-list celebrities. The creche is so elite that its exact location is hidden, even from its own residents (new employees are put in windowless helicopters when they are flown in for the first time and are not permitted to leave unless they are tendering their resignation. Few will do so, however, as working at this creche as a caregiver is an honor as well as a luxury–the caregivers are afforded access to all the amenities). 

Though he doesn’t know who his parents are, Patton knows, by virtue of the location of his upbringing alone, that they are important. 

Many Alphas produced by this creche are snobbish and somewhat elitist, or at the very least obliviously privileged, but Patton was not. He somehow turned into one of the sweetest, kindest, most generous people ever, and even though he didn’t need to work (he gets a substantial fund every month from his Creche’s trust) he elected to become an obstetrician simply for love of helping others. He was very, very good at his job, too. 

But when he met Virgil, it was the easiest thing in the world for him to give up his work. There was, and is, nothing more important to him in the world that his omega; the only things that come close are Logan (and now Roman). His family is more important to him than anything and he’d give up a hell of a lot more than a silly old job to be with them. 

 

 **What does Patton do for a living?**  
Patton is retired, but he was a doctor.

Because he's very rich, Patton doesn’t have to work at all, but he did for a long time, until he bonded with Virgil.

He’s the kind of rich that has fun helping others out though. He and Logan were roommates during college and Patton just quietly paid for all their groceries and textbooks (in spite of Logan’s protests. But Logan couldn’t protest much, because he had no money).

When he was out buying Virgil some Christmas gifts, he did things like reverse-pickpocket (he’d slip $100 bills into people’s coat pockets) and tell the cashiers to run his credit card for an extra couple thousand to pay for as many people in line behind him as possible.

He’s that kinda dude.

 

 **How old is Patton?**  
He's 35.

 

 **Why did Patton retire so young?**  
In this world, scent is a very powerful diagnostic tool. The role of physician is generally relegated to betas only, as they have just as strong a sense of smell as Alphas and omegas, but are not beholden to their urges the way A/os are. To be a doctor, an Alpha must be on suppressors. But to properly bond with an omega, they can’t stay on them.

Patton is a very unique individual for a lot of reasons, and one of those reasons is that he became not only a doctor, but an OBGYN (almost unheard of for an Alpha).

He was at a placement facility doing routine examinations of the omegas in residence when he met Virgil. The two connected almost immediately, and Patton decided to retire early in order to court and eventually bond with Virgil.

Virgil feels guilty about it sometimes because Patton loved his job. But Patton assures him he loves Virgil more (he definitely does).

 

**Got more questions about Patton? Ask in the comments and I'll be happy to answer here.**


	7. Patton and Virgil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Could you tell us a little more about Patton and Virgil's relationship/bonding ?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter is EXPLICIT. Discussions of mating, intense and painful heat cycles, knotting, and other sexually explicit acts are contained within. Read at your own discretion.

Patton and Virgil are definitely an unusual case. 

Patton is what's known as a Super Alpha. I'll go more into the biology of what that means later, but basically he is in a class of the most dominant Alphas around. Super Alphas usually have harems of anywhere from 4-10 omegas, as they are incredibly virile and have a commanding presence (and are generally more than able to keep an unusually large group of omegas happy). 

Patton is different, though. He's been a romantic since day 1, and he's never wanted to bond with an omega simply because he has strong pheromones. He felt like an omega falling in love with him because he was a super alpha would almost be cheating, in a way? They wouldn't love him for  _him_ , they'd be hypnotized by him, and he never wanted that. 

So instead of taking his fortune and settling in with a harem of omegas like everyone expected, Patton did something bizarre and nearly unthinkable: he put himself on the strongest Alpha suppressors on the market and went to school to become an obstetrician. Because he does love taking care of omegas, and his alpha drive to do so is still very strong. 

He spent years volunteering at various placement facilities, doing routine checks on the omegas in residence, as well as working clinics for poorer omega/Alpha pairs expecting litters. Medicine in this world is largely socialized, but there are still private clinics where you can buy better care, with less overwhelmed staff and physicians trained at more elite schools and academies. I haven't delved too much into the economic structure of the world, but there's basically the baseline of care everyone has access too, and then there is the elite world of more luxurious care that comes with a price tag.

Patton never needed the money, so even though he was highly trained and extremely qualified (one of the tops in his field), he usually ended up volunteering at the free clinics. He did have a few private clients (mostly friends from his old exclusive beta community) which brought in some nice supplemental income, but he mostly used that to buy better supplies for the free clinics and placement facilities he volunteered for. 

In spite of the suppressors, Patton still hoped he would one day meet an omega with whom he could really click, but he was already 31 (very old for a super alpha to have never bonded) and was beginning to lose hope.

That was when he finally met Virgil. 

Virgil is a feline alpha, a very rare breed that often has difficulty being placed anyway due to their more sassy, independent natures. But added to that, Virgil suffers from very painful heat cycles and infertility, which pretty much guaranteed he'd never be placed with an Alpha. He'd been "shelved"--the colloquial (and not very nice) term for omegas who have been in placement facilities for so long that it has basically become assumed they'll never bond with an Alpha. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy after awhile: the older the omega, the more obvious it is that they've been previously rejected by other Alphas, which makes them less appealing to new Alphas (a psychological phenomenon that exists in our world, too--if no one seems to want something, then that thing is deemed undesirable by default. Conversely, if everyone suddenly seems to want something, it becomes more desirable to others). Since he was declared infertile, Virgil's odds of ever being placed with an Alpha have dropped to virtually none.

 

**The Meeting**

Virgil was 25 when he first met Patton, an almost unforgivably old age for an omega to not have ever been bonded with. He had long since given up on the idea of ever finding an Alpha, and had resigned himself to a life in his placement facility, suffering through heats, being bred through them by uncaring staff Alphas in body suits (worn to prevent bonding), wiling away his days with his books and his phone and whatever other amenities were available to him. Omegas that get shelved don't tend to thrive; they have an inherent need to be bonded to an Alpha, and the lack of a bond can have an ultimately detrimental affect on an omega's overall health. In addition, other omegas don't tend to interact much with shelved omegas, seeing their bad luck as something that might be contagious. As such, shelved omegas receive almost no physical affection, and tend to suffer from frequent illnesses, weight loss, hair loss, and depression. They ultimately just kind of waste away. It's an incredibly sad thing to witness.

Patton was visiting the placement facility as the attending physician for a meet-and-greet. Meet-and-greets are social events held monthly for the omegas of a placement facility (as long as they're not in heat--omegas in heat are not permitted to go to the meet and greet at the risk of forming a false bond with visiting alphas). Alphas looking to find omegas attend these events and are permitted to mingle with the resident omegas, chat with them, cuddle and socialize, and basically see if there are any they want to bond with. The omegas also get equal say in this (an omega cannot be adopted against their will). 

Anyway, Patton was just there to oversee the requisite physical examinations of the omegas who were being considered for adoption. It was kind of a slow day, as there had been heavy rain and not a lot of people were out and about, so he was just sort of hanging out with the omegas and staff betas in the greeting room when he noticed a feline omega sitting alone in a window seat on the far side of the room. 

He was immediately intrigued, and asked one of the betas about the omega. The beta made a regretful face and said, "That's Virgil." The way she said it made it very clear Virgil had been in placement for a long time. "He has difficulties with his heat cycles, and he's infertile. He'll probably be a permanent here." (meaning he will not be placed with an Alpha but will live out his life at the placement facility). 

Patton was immediately heartbroken for the feline and decided to go say hello. 

Virgil was wary around him at first, ears flattening against his head and tail twitching restlessly. He could tell, even with the suppressors, that Patton was a super Alpha. But when Patton introduced himself as a doctor, Virgil relaxed, assuming this to be a standard doctor visit and nothing more.

Patton sat down with Virgil on the window seat and they watched the rain together for a bit. Virgil had a book with him, and Patton asked about it, and they ended up having a conversation about literature, which then turned to movies and cartoons. By the time the rain started letting up a little and more Alphas began to show for the meet-and-greet, Patton knew he wanted to try to bond with Virgil. 

But he was there that day to do a job, so he politely excused himself, and left to do his exams. Virgil watched him for a long time before sighing and returning to his book. No one else came to talk to him for the rest of that meet-and-greet; the best he got was a few pitying glances. 

 

**The Proposal**

After the meet-and-greet finally ended that evening, Patton was exhausted, but he didn't want to leave until he knew more about Virgil. He spoke to the betas on staff and asked if he could speak to the director about moving forward with a courtship. It took awhile to convince the director he was serious, but eventually they agreed to ask Virgil if he was willing to pursue a courtship. The initial request has to be private, so the omega feels safe saying 'no' if they want, but Virgil didn't say no. Though he was certain this was going to end badly (no Alpha was ever going to want him; he'd known that his whole life) he did want to see Patton again, if only to talk to him some more. 

They arranged an official courtship meeting for the next day. Unlike meet-and-greets, courtships are private, and take place in slightly less supervised settings. There are a number of rooms for the courtships, with one-way mirrors so staff can keep an eye on the interactions, and each room is equipped for various activities a potential pair may wish to enjoy. Virgil and Patton had talked a lot about movies, so Virgil elected to take one of the rooms with a large TV and a lot of DVDs, thinking that even though Patton would surely change his mind about wanting to actually court him (if he even really wanted to at all, and this wasn't just some cruel joke or being done out of pity), then maybe they could still have fun watching a movie. 

Patton arrived at the scheduled time with a box of expensive chocolates and the movie Chocolat, a favorite of his that Virgil hadn't seen yet. They agreed to watch it together, and Patton assured Virgil he'd definitely want the chocolates because "this movie is going to make you crave them." 

He put the movie on and settled down onto one of the huge fluffy love seats, and Virgil crawled up next to him. He was shy at first, but at Patton's coaxing, Virgil curled up against him and rested his head on Patton's shoulder. As he did so, he let out the tiniest little sigh, his tail curling up and the tip brushing Patton's wrist. And, very tentatively, he began to purr.

It was in that moment that Patton fell in love. 

They spent the entire meeting that day cuddling and watching movies. When Chocolat ended, Virgil put on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and admitted he liked the slightly darker take Tim Burton did with it, talking about how it was closer to Dahl's original vision in the book. Patton enjoyed it too, but mostly enjoyed seeing Virgil enjoy it. When it ended, he remarked that it had put him in the mood to bake sweets. Virgil commented that he'd never done any baking but had always been curious to learn how. When their time ended after the second movie, Patton asked if Virgil wanted to use one of the kitchen courtship rooms next time so they could bake together. 

Virgil looked up at him and blurted a surprised, "You're coming back?" then flushed and looked away, embarrassed at how hopeful he'd sounded. 

That was when Patton kissed him for the first time (after asking permission, of course). After the kiss, Patton whispered, "I'll see you tomorrow, Virgil. Sleep well." 

Virgil was over the moon. Though he was still certain this was going to end poorly, he couldn't help but feel hopeful for the first time in years. 

They had two more courtship sessions before Patton proposed a bond. Their second one was baking, and they spent the entire time making cookies for the staff and the other omegas in the center. They also spent the entire time giggling and trading little kisses between bites of cookie dough, and Virgil was head over heels for Patton before the day was over. 

The third courtship day involved mostly just snuggling together and talking. Patton told Virgil about Logan, and about his apartment, and made some off-hand comment about 'plenty of room,' which made Virgil stiffen and look up at him warily. 

"Plenty of room for what?" he asked, desperately afraid to hope. 

It was then Patton told Virgil he wanted to bond with him. Virgil started to cry and hid his face against Patton's chest. Patton let him, and eventually Virgil got himself collected enough to accept the proposal. 

 

**The Bond**

A courtship proposal usually involved a supervised breeding session to cement the bond, but Virgil's next heat was still several weeks away. Patton didn't want to wait, so he made a special arrangement with the head of the facility: he would take Virgil home now, then bring him back in during his next heat for the mandatory supervised session. This was agreed to, and Patton took Virgil home a few days later, once all the requisite checks had been done. Fortunately, as a physician, he already had a background check on file with the facility, so they were able to expedite the process a little.

Virgil and Patton went home to Patton and Logan's apartment, and Virgil settled in, but Patton could tell he didn't really believe in what was happening to him. As his heat approached, Virgil grew more restless and withdrawn, absolutely certain that once Patton realized how difficult he was during his heats, he would want to revoke his claim. When Patton asked what was bothering him, though, he would just smile and shake his head and insist it was nothing. 

When Virgil's heat was only about a day away, he and Patton packed overnight bags and returned to the facility. The staff alphas tried to insist that they should demonstrate how to handle Virgil during a heat, as Patton wouldn't be able to do so on his own, but Patton adamantly refused. This caused a bit of a clash, but Patton was resolute. He'd stopped taking his suppressors after meeting Virgil the first time, so his authority as a Super Alpha was pretty hard to deny. Eventually, as a compromise, they agreed to have a few staff Alphas suited up and ready to step in if needed, but to let Patton have a first try.

When Virgil's heat hit, it hit violently. He immediately began to yowl, as the contractions of his birthing canal and womb began with painfully intense severity. He hissed, clutching and scrabbling at the furniture and sobbing. It happened so fast that Patton was caught off-guard at first, too stunned to move, and the staff Alphas began to file into the room.

That snapped Patton back to attention. He barked at them to get out, then immediately disrobed. He said, gently but full of command, "Virgil, come here." 

Virgil, who had been squirming on the ground, howling in pain and need, calmed just enough to crawl over to Patton. He turned around, tail held high, and presented himself, gritting out a single " _Please_." 

Patton mounted him gently, easing him back until he was buried completely in Virgil's body, and Virgil immediately sobbed in relief. As a super alpha, Patton was more generously sized than any of the staff alphas by a good margin, and for the first time ever, Virgil had enough inside him to feel full. The contractions eased considerably, backing down to a more normal rate and intensity, and he began to pant as pain was overcome by pleasure. 

That first time breeding together, Patton held Virgil in his lap, Virgil's back to Patton's chest, their legs bent at the knee, Virgil's legs hooked around Patton's. Patton soothed him through the heat cycles, stroking his chest and abdomen to keep his muscles from getting too tense, and massaging the insides of his thighs. Virgil's cock was too sensitive to be touched, so Patton didn't, but his gentle words and the touch of his hands were more than enough. Virgil was able to orgasm multiple times, something he'd never done during a heat before, as Patton's knot swelled and bound them together.

That first mating lasted nearly 2 days. The staff came in with drinks for them both and food for Patton (omegas don't eat during heats), and Patton kept him filled and mated until the cycle finally eased, and Virgil's overwrought body could tolerate being touched again. When Virgil finally moaned and took Patton's hand, guiding it between his legs, Patton knew they'd made it through. He cupped Virgil's cock and stroked and fondled it gently, guiding Virgil through a few more gentle orgasms, before they finally relaxed again, mating over and bond complete.

When Patton pulled free, Virgil turned in his arms and wrapped himself around Patton, arms and legs both, clinging to him tightly. Patton didn't protest. He held him for a long time, and then only eased him away long enough to get dressed before picking him back up again (Virgil immediately wrapping himself around Patton once more).

Patton walked out of the room, looked at the staff and the director, and said, "I'm taking him back home now." 

Even though procedure would have been to follow up with Virgil and fill out more paperwork, not a single person argued as Patton walked out of the facility and hailed a cab. He carried Virgil all the way back to their apartment, straight to the bedroom, and climbed into bed with him, again pausing only long enough to deal with clothing. When they were both naked, they curled up together in bed, and basically passed out for about a day, only waking up long enough to relieve themselves or grab a bite to eat. 

When Patton finally woke up for real, he found Virgil watching him, an awed look on his face. He smiled, and opened his arms, and whispered, "Come here, love." Virgil obeyed, and as he snuggled in, Patton whispered, "I've got you. You're mine now, sweetheart. I've got you." 

Patton did eventually take care of all the paperwork. But he and Virgil were firmly bonded the moment Virgil took him into his body, and neither of them ever had a moment's doubt ever again. 

 * 


End file.
